The gate latch assembly of this invention is particularly designed for operation from a side of the gate opposite to the side on which the gate is latched, and this invention is particularly an improvement upon gate latches of the kind that use a ring for latching purposes, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,705, issued Aug. 11, 1970 to Marvin W. Gittins and Vern L. Gittins, titled: Gate Latch.
This invention is also particularly an improvement over the gate latch described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 018,286, titled: Gate Latch with Release, filed Mar. 6, l979 by Marvin W. Gittins, Sr.
Although the latch of the patent application provided a way to lift a ring from the opposite side of the gate, yet there has always been important need for extra safety to prevent animals and toddler-children from opening the lever-operated type of gate latch, or the non-lever-operated type of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,705.
If an intelligent dog can open a gate latch, then an entire field of cattle might escape. If a toddler can open a gate latch, then that toddler and even other toddlers and animals might escape and come into serious danger on highways and even a more serious common danger on city streets.
It is the main objective of this invention to provide a two-way gate latch with two extra safety rings disposed on opposite sides of the gate-post mounted element which can be called a post-tongue, although I use an anti-sag bar as the post-mounted element, a double use of the same element.
I have discovered that although an adult will find it very convenient to simultaneously press down on a ring-lifting lever with the thumb while raising the adjacent safety ring with the index finger, yet a toddler will not do so.
A toddler or an animal that might press down on the top of the safety lever will not have the intelligence or the information to simultaneously lift and hold in an upper position the upper rign and the safety ring involved throughout the time interval while the gate is pushed to the open position.
I have discovered that even an accidental opening manipulation of lever and safety ring will not make it possible for a toddler to open the gate, unless a toddler maintains these rings in lifted position throughout a simultaneous pushing of the gate toward an open position.
It is true that a toddler might lift a top ring and a lower safety ring that are on the same side of the gate simultaneously and perhaps even move the gate at the same time. But, such would not unlock the gate because, even though the upper ring may be up and in gate-releasing position, yet the movement of the gate tongue toward the raised upper ring will be arrested by the safety ring of this invention which is on the opposite side of the gate from the two rings the toddler has raised.